The present invention generally relates to factory wiring and/or aiming of devices which are elevated many feet (e.g., 30+ feet) in the air so to reduce labor-intensive onsite aiming. More specifically, the present invention relates to streamlining the assembly and aiming of disparate devices (e.g., lighting fixtures, mobile network antennas, microwave dishes) on a common elevating structure (e.g., pole); namely, by co-locating devices relative a common feature.
It is well known that cellular service providers and wireless internet providers (hereinafter referred to both generically and collectively as “mobile network service providers”) have a number of devices (e.g., radios, antennas, filters) that are required to maintain a mobile network. Each mobile network device—as they are generically referred to herein—has its own requirements for correct operation. That being said, each mobile network device requirement may differ from that of some other mobile network device—such that each device has historically been built, shipped, assembled, and aimed separately. Take, for example, a mobile network in which a mobile phone operates. A mobile network service provider will typically have a number of geographically dispersed base stations to which a mobile phone may communicate via air link. Each base station typically includes a number of transceivers (often installed in a ground-mounted cabinet or other enclosure), a number of antennas (often spaced equidistantly about the perimeter of some feature at the top of a tower or pole) and/or radios, and some form of communication line (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic) running from the transceivers to the antennas. Said mobile phone network will also typically include a mobile switch (e.g., to track SIM information, connect to toll stations for land line calls, etc.) and some kind of backhaul communication between each base station and the mobile switch. In some instances the backhaul may comprise a hard line (e.g., fiber optic); in other instances, microwave devices may also need to be installed at or near the top of a tower or pole for wireless communications to the mobile switch. This, of course, is a simplification of a very complex system—and ignores any specialty devices such as filters which may be required to prevent interference with wireless communications from other industries (e.g., aeronautics) or to prevent interference from frequency re-use—but it is a suitable description for purposes of the invention.
In the above example of a mobile phone network, the antennas may comprise one or more omnidirectional antennas which may only require high, relatively unencumbered mounting. Alternatively, in the above example the antennas may comprise one or more flat panel antennas; these antennas may require not only high mounting, but relatively precise aiming (e.g., within 1-3° of a desired direction) to ensure adequate signal propagation and coverage (e.g., to build the “mesh” of a network). Yet, other mobile network devices on the same tower or pole may have different requirements for correct operation. For example, said microwave devices often require line-of-sight (which may or may not be at a very high mounting height) with other microwave devices on other poles—thereby creating a “chain” of communication rather than the aforementioned “mesh” associated with the antennas—and very precise aiming (e.g., less than 1° deviation from a desired direction) to ensure point-to-point communications along the backhaul. Even ignoring concerns from the general public regarding exposure to radio frequencies (RF) and requirements from other industries (e.g., the aforementioned filtering of signals), it is readily apparent that (i) mobile network service providers take particular care when selecting sites for erecting elevating structures such as towers or poles, and (ii) the installation of mobile network devices is a laborious procedure.
As with most industries, there are efforts to reduce cost and add value to a mobile network endeavor. Often, mobile network service providers rely on pre-existing elevating structures for the installation of mobile network devices; zoning, construction, and material cost are often substantially resolved issues. That being said, regardless of whether the elevating structure is a new build or a repurposed pre-existing structure, the aforementioned requirements for mobile network devices remain the same. For example, a cellular company may lease a pre-existing tower in a farm field accessible by a public road—and that may save the cost of erecting a new tower, or navigating zoning restrictions, or concerns with RF exposure, and the like—but the cellular company will still need to install a base station enclosure, install one or more mobile network devices on the tower, and meticulously aim each device so to ensure integrity of the mobile network. In such instances, the preexisting elevating structure does nothing to reduce the time, difficulty, or cost of installing mobile network devices. Yet, there remains a desire in the art for mobile network service providers to continue to partner with outside entities (e.g., municipalities, farmers) to grow and strengthen their mobile networks. The art is lacking in tools by which these unrelated entities could provide additional value to the overall process of installing a base station or other component of a mobile network; particularly, with respect to what has been identified as a costly bottleneck in the overall process. Thus, there is room for improvement in the art.